Tracing the Tribe is a blog about Jewish genealogy - All the developments, tools and resources you'll need to peer more closely into your family tree. Created in 2006 at JTA's request, it is now independent.

01 September 2010

Frequent media stories point to our reliance on technology which fosters a disconnect from personal contacts.

A temporary disconnect from technology (mobile phones, television, etc.) might be the way to go, according to OffLiningInc.com, headed by CEOs Eric Yaverbaum and Mark DiMassimo, self-acclaimed children of the Silicon Revolution.

We’ve devoted much of the last couple of decades to convincing you to log on, click here, call now, surf, search, pay bills in your underwear, trade from the beach, add “friends” to your digital network and, as AT&T once famously promised in their “You Will” campaign, tuck your children in from your mobile device.

Then one day we made a mistake — we looked up. We took our eyes off the screen long enough to see. We noticed we had kids and wives. We took in the way leaves open their faces to the sun. We reacquainted ourselves with the sounds birds make. And we realized these things could no longer compete.

There's a new campaign promoting Yom Kippur as a day to disconnect from technology. While observant Jews will do that anyway, the campaign is pushing for all Americans to do the same from sunset September 18 until sunset September 19.

Although we can't live without technology, Tracing the Tribe thinks a temporary disconnect will leave more time to discuss genealogy in person with your family. That's a good thing.

About Me

Schelly Talalay Dardashti has tracked her family history through Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, Spain, Iran and elsewhere. A journalist, her articles on genealogy have been widely published. In addition to genealogy blogging (since 2006), she speaks at Jewish and general genealogy conferences, co-founded GenClass.com. Past president of the five-branched JFRA Israel, a Jewish genealogical association, she is a member of several professional organizations.

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